By Paul Post
The Adirondack Thunder averaged a franchise record 3,657 fans per game last year, boosting business for several Saratoga County food and beverage firms
The team drew nearly a dozen sell-out crowds during its late-season drive to the ECHL’s Kelly Cup playoffs and based on early season-ticket sales, attendance is expected to reach another all-time high this year.
That’s good news to firms such as beer distributor Saratoga Eagle, US Foods of Clifton Park and South Glens Falls-based Common Roots Brewing Company, in addition to advertisers such as Phinney Design Group of Saratoga Springs, which can reach more people as the team’s fan base grows.
“Our main source of revenue for hockey is ticket sales,” said Jeff Mead, Cool Insuring Arena manager and Thunder general manager. “The more fans that come to the arena the more food, beverage and merchandise we sell and the more apt corporate partners are to support us. I’d love to see 3,800 average attendance this year. We’ve got a pretty good schedule with a lot of weekend home dates so I think that’s attainable.”
“We’ve got great support from our local Thunder fans, but certainly our goal is to expand our reach further south,” he said. “A lot of our advertising is geared toward that area as well.”
Other upcoming events include Military Appreciation (1,000 T-shirts to first 1,000 fans) on Saturday, Nov. 25, Miracle On Ice Night (Saturday, Dec. 7) when Adirondack pays tribute to the 1980 Olympic U.S. Men’s Hockey Team and Firefighter Night (Saturday, Dec. 16) when Saratoga Springs and Worcester, Mass. firefighters will square off (1 p.m.) prior to that evening’s contest between the Thunder and Worcester Railers.
Second-year Thunder head coach Pete MacArthur, of Clifton Park, is a prime example of the way pro hockey has contributed to the greater Capital Region economy since the Adirondack Red Wings first began play in 1979.
As a kid, his father and Shenendehowa High School coach, Bill MacArthur, took Pete to numerous Wings games, which inspired he and countless other youngsters to pursue high school, college and pro careers of their own. A
former Thunder captain and ECHL All-Star, Pete MacArthur had a 15-year minor league career before taking over as head coach last year.
“At our level the players are more accessible
than say at the NHL or even the AHL level,” he said. “People can connect more frequently and get a better understanding of what these guys are all about. Usually, they’re just like everyday humans, but they work in a public space. I think it’s important for the next generation to realize you can achieve the dream of being a professional athlete. It takes discipline and lots of hard work, but it can be done.”
He and Assistant Coach Mike Bergin, of Saratoga Springs, are among the roughly 30 players, coaches, equipment and training personnel that comprise Thunder hockey operations. The front office employs about 10 more people and on game nights the team provides part-time jobs to 15 off-ice officials plus arena security and concessions staff, all of which helps the local economy, too.
As more kids play and join youth leagues, the more local stores such as Pure Hockey in Clifton Park and Sports Zone of Queensbury benefit from equipment sales.
But some of the biggest beneficiaries from the Thunder’s presence are Glens Falls taverns and restaurants, especially on weekend game nights.
“Coach Bergin and I quite often mention how nice it is to see so many people in and out of shops and restaurants downtown,” MacArthur said.
“Places like the Bullpen, Fenimore’s, Downtown Social and Downtown City Tavern, all the local restaurants are positively impacted for hockey games and events,” Mead said. “An economic study in 2018 said our impact was $13 million per year. That’s probably doubled since then, just based on the amount of events we have now and the people who come to them.”
Also, a new junior hockey team for aspiring colege players, the Adirondack Junior Thunder, began play in Glens Falls last year, adding another 15 to 17 games to the list of arena events. The team rents ice time from the arena, which provides added revenue.
Crowds are quite small compared to the pro Thunder franchise, but visiting teams stay overnight and both players and fans patronize local businesses, too.
The Thunder franchise is a roughly $3 million operation whose expenses have tripled since it joined the ECHL in 2015. But fueled by on-ice success and growing support from fans and corporate sponsors alike, the team netted a $100,000 profit last year.
“We have a lot more staff than we used to,” Mead said. “Salaries, Workers’ Compensation, hotels, flights, buses and player housing have all gone up. We’re faced with the same increased expenses as everyone else in our community. Minor league sports is a very challenging business. The good thing is that our revenue has gone up significantly since we took over, too.”